Going to Italy

Well, for Greece I took 15-30 Sigma (on the 5D, slightly more than a 10-22/APS-C FoV), 24-70, 70-200 IS, and 35 f/2 along with 1.4x and 2x TCs. Used everything, although if I'd needed to I could have lived without the 35 f/2. If you're going to be around any ruins, etc., you'll want something pretty wide. The longer lenses are good for picking out details or hill-to-hill landscapes.

if you dont need anything wider than the 17, personally, i'd go cheaper and just take the kit lens. it'll give you the 18~28 range at pretty much similar max aperture as the 17~40, and is dirt cheap (if you dont have it already). it's pretty sharp stopped down to f8, and sometimes even at f/5.6.

only you'll know how wide of an angle you need. take a trip locally where you can sort of mimic the type of shots you'll see in italy. take a look at the pictures other people take. im guessing you'll need wide angle around the coastlines and possibly in open areas like st. peter's square.

I'd leave the 24-105 on the camera, and take the 50 f1.8 and 10-22. I went Italy, and the 50 is necessary I'd say, for museums etc. The 24-105 is great for capturing street life etc. The UWA I'd definetly take for buildings etc. I went Italy and my widest lens was 18-55 which did an ok job, but I'd go ultra wide. Also, just wondering you own a 10-22 and a 12-24? Nearly the same range...

my 12-24 tokina was on my camera at least 50% of the time in Rome.

Right before my trip to Italy this past summer I picked up a 10-22 and I am glad I did. It was on my camera 90% of the time and had a lot of fun using it. In my opinion, 24mm is not nearly wide enough on a 1.6 crop camera. So I definitely recommend having a wide angle option for your trip. Here are some pics from my visit to Italy using the 10-22:

Coastline in Positano

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WOW awesome pictures! now I have to get this lense. I just have to work about 150 hours for this.

kyounge wrote in post #2166704
I've been lurking her for a while now. But, I need some help I am leaving for Italy next week and I will be traveling pretty light. I am going to take a Rebel XT with grip, 50 1.8 for low light, 24-105L if I need reach so what I need help with is which wide angle to many to choose from? I thought about a Canon 10-22, Tokina 12-24, canon 17-40L... To many choices what suggestions do you all have for me? I may leave the 24-105 at home just depends on what everyone thinks.


Thank you,

kyounge

I would add the 10-22, you will need a wide field of view in cities. Teamed with the 24-105 you have covered the most used focal lengths. This is exactly the setup I would use myself for a travel light trip. I would also add a fast prime, not sure if I would use the 50 1.4 or the 28 1.8, probably the latter.

I just got back, and my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS was on my camera the whole time. Only other lens I brought was the 50mm f/1.4.

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I went with a 20D last year and the 10-22 was 30% of my shots, the 24-105 65%, and a Tamron 20 1.8 did the interiors.

http://www.pbase.com/r​cicala/sorrento_italy
if you want to see some more shots

I think you'll find that lugging camera gear around all day will become a burdern, so I recommend travelling as light as possible. I spent 10 days in Paris and never once mounted my grip because the wieght of the camera with a decent lens on it was enough to keep up with. I left the grip in my room, along w/my 50 1.4.
My friend talked me into taking his kit lens instead of the 16-35L, and I'm glad I did. If something bad happenned to the kit lens, it wouldn't have been a big deal, and I only had to use it the very few times I needed to go wider than 24mm.
I recommend a kit lens if you have one or can get one, plus your 24-105, and that's it.
Lowepro makes a micro-treckker bag for $80 that will hold that and more and it just comes in under the tiny size you're now allowed to bring for carry on, so you won't have to check your gear if you dont' want to.

I really like my Tokina 12-24. Great build and IQ. With the 24-105L youd have a good range covered with quality.

Just a recommendation from someone who was recently in Italy (Naples, Florence, Rome, Sienna, Pompeii, Abetone):

WATCH YOUR EQUIPMENT CLOSELY AT ALL TIMES

Pickpockets are quite common; I encountered some thiefs in the subway station right outside the coliseum (they like to frequent the tourist areas). The four women I were with were getting onto the subway train, I was behind them all and the buzzer was beeping as the doors were closing. A girl with holding a baby was stalling in front of me and I was concentrating on trying to get on the train before the doors closed; meanwhile, another girl had unzipped my backpack and was going through it.

Luckily I didn't have anything of value in the backpack and one of the locals noticed the thief and shoved her back onto the platform. The girl spit back at the guy, some yelling in Italian went on and the guy explained to me what had happened as the train pulled away. From that point on, I carried my backpack in front of me on the trains and locked the zippers closed at all times.

As careful as we were after this incident, one of my friends had a suitcase stolen in a train station when it was sitting on a cart with five others less than a foot away from us. To this day not a one of us can figure out when it was taken; one minute it was there, the next it was gone.

Aside from those incidents, what a great country!

The bus/subway line from the "transit" station towards the Vatican is especially known for thieves. I was amazed at all the folks that wear backpacks and I looked at how easy it would be to get into one, or cut the bottom of one.

I carried my camera (which was kinda big with the 17-55mm IS on it) in a Tamrac 517 holster bag that was in front of me at almost all times.

thats why i'm so glad i bought the crumpler whikey and cox bag,
you can only get into it by taking it off!

I've lived in Italy for a total of about 9 months, and I never had anything wider than my 28-105...I definitely missed out on a lot because of it. Something at least on the 17mm end would be good enough for a WA, although I'd love to get a 10-22 as well. Either way you're right in saying you need a WA for travel.